What is in your dog food?

It has become more important to pet owners to see that their pets are fed and treated as if they are themselves. After all, we want our babies to live a lot longer and be with us for more great events in the future. So one way to look at this is by reviewing the Vitamins in your dog’s food, what better way to do this than to review the Victor Dog Food Supplements.

So Good Dog Food Companies, such as Victor Dog Food, continue to look for improvements in their products. Pet owners understand that health, from day one, can mean a healthy relationship for many years to come with their pets. Of late, there has been a big explosion of specific nutritional items for ailments. You can now have one to help with the “Coat” or the “Joints” or even one to help you with “dogs that jump”. I just saw one in a national retail pet magazine designed to help your dog make their stool so disgusting in smell, that they will not want to eat their own stool. Ick!

Let’s look at some of the Victor Dog Food Supplements

• Sel-Plex – Much like humans take Selenium as an antioxidant, it is found in Victor Dog Food to support cellular regeneration as well as help with dogs immune systems.
• Actigen – Helps with the digestion tract in dogs.
• Nupro (Yeast Extract) – promotes enhanced immunity by supporting cell membrane and function within each cell of the body. This product is used in all Victor Grain Free Foods.
• Zinpro Performance Minerals® – Trace Minerals may only be required in small amounts each day, but they play a role in numerous metabolic functions that affect the overall health and well-being of all animals. In addition, when an animal has the proper balance of trace minerals it is better able to cope with the challenging effects of stress.
• Diamond V Yeast Culture – These metabolites feed good digestive bacteria which in-turn supports a healthy digestion as well as a strong immune system.

Supplement guarantee?

So while many dog food makers are jumping on the bandwagon, even going so far as to guarantee the supplements, how do you know if you are not being fed some “snake-oil”? This may be lost as customers want that silver bullet, that immediate fix to a problem and who believe that something guaranteed to work, “over 60 days” is a good solution, after all, the supplement maker has 60 days to prove their “product” works.

Back in 1995, the supplement business was in its infancy, and sales were under $2 million, fast forward to today, they are projected to be more than $1.7 billion. People are demanding that their pet supplements are of equal quality to those we take as human beings. Needing to verify that the ingredients used are the same high quality, made in the USA, as human quality items. For many years, it was known that dog food companies would say their product was made in the USA, but they purchased their vitamin supplements from companies in Europe who were then serviced by Chinese vitamin manufactures.

Did you know that Victor Dog Food has products with Glucosamine blended with Chondroitin? This food will have a positive effect on the long term joint health of dogs. Here is a great article that discusses the use of Glucosamine with Chrondroitin and the benefits as evidenced by years of use abroad, even though it has been a staple Victor Dog Food Supplement for many years.

How to tell if the Supplement works

So how do you know if your dog or cat food is on the level? Well, ask about the studies done on the supplements. Good manufacturers will have studies to back their products. A good place to start with questions is your local vet. They see pets daily and can give you an idea of what is snake oil and what works. Testimonials and word-of-mouth from happy customers are also a good place for research.

If you are at the pet store, what do you do? Well one thing you can do is look for clear packaging. Its hard to figure out a word you have never heard of, and Google has no answer either in a plastic bottle. Packaging can tell a story. Look at the pictures to see if you can get an idea of what the item does for your pet. Look for companies that offer samples of the products too. For the most part, powders or chewables are good options for owners.

Is there a product that you would to see Happy Hound Dog Resorts carry for your pet? Ask us and we will see if we can acquire it from our vendors. Local pet companies can bring in guest speakers too on the value of these supplements. We hope you have enjoyed the discussion on Victor Dog Food Supplements.